Kate and Pippa Middleton

[hellosally]

I'm reading about Pippa's new £15 million home and another pregnancy. I am sure both sisters are lovely people but looking at their lives, it seems like neither ever had any intention of working and used school and university to get themselves mixing in affluent circles to bag a wealthy man to fund their lifestyles.
Do people like this still really exist? I know we all have choices but at times in my life when I have mixed in more affluent circles in university and London, men would spot gold diggers and women who would need to be financially supported a mile off and would not contemplate taking them seriously. I dont know any women who havent have some kind of career or any men that want someone who hasnt worked.
is there anyone bringing up their daughters(or sons) like this in this day and age? would you bankroll them if it all went wrong? just curious.

@SW1amp
yes but I think that’s exactly what is interesting. The fact that they were in those social circles in the first place. Which was partly as a result of having gone to Marlborough College. But in fact I know other people who went there who didn’t/don’t mix in quite such uber wealthy circles.
Don’t get me wrong, they did very well and are well off - barristers, consultants etc and had families who could pay the fees - but not necessarily £15 million pound house well off. Mixing in those sorts of extremely elite circles is a definite choice.

I agree.

It's so disappointing the countless threads bashing other women for their choices: SAHM or working outside the home. Whatever you do, someone will bash you for it. As if all SAHMs don't contribute to society by voluntary work or helping other working mums with ad hoc childcare, or fundraising or running school events or studying for future careers, like Pippa. Or all WOHM don't contribute to wider society by working hard and bringing up children and often also contributing in other ways. Depressing.

I seem to remember Kate trying to work outside the family business anyway (from memory it was in fashion) but getting so much press attention it made it impossible.

looking like they do is a full time job in itself

It’s been in the press and I seem to recall that when my daughter did her masters they graded them merit, distinction.

Oh, please. People always refer to someone’s “famous” name, ie the name they were known as at the height of their fame or the moment they got famous: Victoria Beckham is still referred to as Posh Spice despite not being in the Spice Girls for aeons (though she’s the rare fake rebrand who managed to wipe out Victoria Adams), no one knows who Geri Horner is but Geri Halliwell has name recognition. Ditto Meghan Markle though she’s technically duchess of something or other, but it’s clear and obvious who you mean if you say Meghan Markle.

Not a scooby who Philippa Matthews is, but I know who Pippa Middleton is. Same with Kate, and all the Catherine Duchess of Cambridge nonsense is so ridiculous and fawning. She’s just a woman and royalty is nonsense. People calling her Kate Middleton aren’t being disrespectful, it’s simple shorthand; it’s her famous name.

Let's face it, if rich privileged women work, they're not going to be filling vacancies that would otherwise have stood empty.
Their circumstances allow them to be selective and move into pleasant roles, in nice surroundings, doing things they (and many other people if they had the chance would) enjoy. They're not going to be filling the gaps in social care.
So really, it matters nothing to wider society if they do these jobs or not. Other than, as I said before, potentially taking them away from other people.
Rich privileged women or men, who choose to enjoy themselves by working are not superior to those who choose to enjoy themselves by doing nothing.

This.
I retired at 51 and not having to mix with people at work I would not choose to mix with otherwise is bloody good.

No one ever described Lady Diana Spencer as a commoner. I think you're getting confused.

You are surprised that every single person leaving Marlborough doesn’t hang out as one homogeneous group in their 20s..?!

As in school and university, people run with their own.
Some want to hang out at 5 Hertford, some want to be at the pub
some are super sporty and live for their training, others are lawyers and work 70 hour weeks (hence why they are more likely to marry other lawyers)
some are super pretty life and soul of the party types who get asked to be a bridesmaid 10 times a year and meet a lot of people at big society weddings, others are quite introverted and just stick with a small circle of friends

Going to a certain school opens many doors but it doesn’t forcefully push you through any of them.

Both sisters, along with many others, are incredibly lucky to have the upbringing to be ‘eligible’ (for want of a better word) for certain social circles, and fun, pretty and interesting enough to be welcomed into it with open arms

the only surprise is that this is a surprise to some people

This 100%.. The middleton girls grew up playing hockey, skiing, sailing & playing tennis.. That was what they did. If I married someone of that background he wouldn't be able to bring me anywhere as I'm extremely unsporty😭

I'm sure being the sister of the future queen of England is enough of a contribution to her marriage financially. I bet her name opens some doors for her husband, and her own monetary wealth. All the freebies and discounts that come with being who she is is her income.

Also, if this world intrigues/baffles you, as well as reading Tatler, there is a very funny meme account on Instagram called The Chin Dictionary which pokes fun at the parallel universe of this peculiar slice of elite life

in particular, the ‘career path for chin women’

Firstname Surname Millenery - the hat shop you set up for a year in your twenties

firstname Surname Interiors - interiors company you set up for a year in your thirties

Firstname Someone else’s Surname - the farm shop you run into the ground in your forties

The lack of expectation for wives to all be career girls is an in-joke…

Statistically quite a long shot that William would marry any of the young women who started at St Andrews at the same time as him. Kate can't have counted on it. Just as likely that he would have had lots of girlfriends at uni and left it 10 years before settling down.

Catherine is a brilliant partner to William and the children are lovely. Pippa always looks happy with her husband and James the same with his wife.
if Carol Middleton is encouraging her children to social climb, I think she has done a good job with match making.

Look at all the divorce’s in the Royal family.

This.

Its a bloody brilliant deal to be able to contract out all of your domestic and family chores to someone else. Who wouldn't want this?! I was the sole earner in my family for a short while and I bloody loved it! Got to feel all important coming home from work and the kids were dealt with and dinner made by someone else! Brilliant!

Catherine is a brilliant partner to William and the children are lovely.
Really sweet that you know them personally and they don’t mind you sharing insights into their relationship on Mumsnet, just shows how down-to-earth and chill they are.

I think Carole did a great job raising the kids... Who wouldn't want their kids to be proficient at sailing, tennis, skiing, hockey, lacrosse & equestrian.. Also beautiful & academic..

I think there are plenty of women that pick husbands so they have a stress free life. I live in an area with a lot of bankers, who all have c3 DC who go to v expensive private schools. They have 2 houses and generally play tennis or golf and say they are very busy all the time. They also have cleaners, ironing services and gardeners. Sometimes I feel quite jealous.

I dont know them either but their body language and eye contact sure is good if they're just faking being on the same page.

@SW1amp
Just had a look at that Insta account. That’s very funny!

I do find all this interesting as I’m not from the UK. Where I come from, it’s all about money as no-one has family background of any interest. In fact some of my friends from home did go to Marlborough College & other similar schools. And a couple of them did try to break into similar social circles as the Middletons but didn’t find it necessarily that easy. In fact I only know one who managed it and they really are super wealthy.
It’s definitely not enough to just go to the right school, the right university etc you do have to actively try and be quite determined. For sure, it helped that the Middleton girls were bright, sporty and good looking.
I was amused when I came to university here how tight knit these groups were and only select people would be invited to their parties etc - so people who weren’t already in the circle but maybe played a sport at a high level for the university or were particularly good looking etc might be admitted but others were definitely kept out.

This.

Absolute load of rubbish perpetuated by the DM et al. Far easier to believe than the truth - they likely met and fell in love the same as everyone else.

In some ways I think that Pippa’s options particularly were vastly limited by her sisters marriage. A business may initially find it endearing that their newest employ brings the paparazzi to work every day but I’m sure the novelty would soon wear off. And let’s face it, there aren’t many men strong enough to marry into a family experiencing thar level of media intrusion. I think it’s great that she’s happy and well adjusted and I’m sure that’s in no small part due to the strong family she has around her.

They did actually

I was coming on to say this.
Matchmaking will only get you so far.

Plus is there any concrete proof William is/ was cheating.

My family history is solid working class. My niece was the first to go to uni, got excellent results and interesting career where she met her very well connected DH.

Their children are private school educated and their social group a world away from mine at that age. The people they mix with in future are likely to be "upper class" so chances are they'll marry "well". Or a struggling artist.......

I dont know any women who havent have some kind of career or any men that want someone who hasnt worked.

Oh dear, you really haven't travelled much or mixed outside of your own culture have you OP?

You should, it broadens the mind.